Contact terminal



.` To all whom' tr/Lacy concern:

UNITED sfr.'res

*PigrENT oFFlCE.

FRANK` r. roRsHEn, on. FLINT, ivrIoHIGrAla, As'sIGNoR-i'ro"WEs'TINGHoUsEELECTRC' PRODUCTS, COMPANY, A CORPORATION'O'F MICHIGAN.

oormiac'r.I TERMINAL;

l Applica-acrimed Junef25,

Beit known that I, FRANK F. Foirsrinn.

a citizen of the Unite,cl-St`ates,andaresident of Flint, in the county of Genesee and State off Michigan, have invented a: nev1 and use ful Improvement in Contact Terminals, of which the folloivingis a speciication. l y

My invention" relates toVA electric hea-ting devices! and iparticul arly; to 1 locating'` elements for electric stoves,- and it has-for itsobject toiprovide new and improved? contact ter minals for arf quicklyremovable-heater brick ofthe type employed/on electric stoves.

In Patent No. 1,376,415 `issued May 3, 1921, a heater bricky having. a plurality, of

- flatcontact'bars connectedto the resistor is disclosed. rllhef'bars are locatedionl.theunder surface ofthe heater'` brick `Witlrtheir flat surfaces p'arallelto that', of the brick, each bar being `tvvistedthrough anfangle of ninety degrees atv a pointv` adjacent the periphery. of the brick. I have found that,\when so constructed, the terminal barsabsorb.l a relatively large amount of the kheat Which may be radiatedagainsttheflat surface thereof by theunder surface'oftheheater brick and, as" aflarge'proportion of this heat is con` ductedto the outer ends-of` thefbars, the cooperating` stationary Contact terminals-becomev relatively hot. Il have found, also, that the'mechanical strength.A of thebars at the outen'end thereof, When constructedas above described, is notas great as is desir able, andfthe general object cfm-y invention is toVv provide a Construction of'terminalbars which overcomes these .diiiiculties In practicing my invention, Ivprovide a heater/brick, of substantially the character illustrated in the hereinbefore mentioned patent, with a `plurality of Ifiat, thin terminal bars. operatively connected to the resistor locatedinfone face ofa'heater brick, the bars'being so kconnstructed as'to have a thin edge facing the under surface of the heater bricln A plurality ofl openings, extending the surfaces of the bars are nickel plated,

In order to maintain the outer ends of the respectiveb'ars in'proper'foperative positions relatively to the heater brick and to each other, I provide a refractory supporting member having a plurality of openings therethrough, through Which the bars extend. A single resilient member is provided to permit 4 fpccication of Letters Patent.

y Patented Ang. 1, 19221 1921. Serial No. 480,276.-

Fig. tisa View, inrside elevatiomof the member illustrated in Fig. 5. y

A heating` element l7 for an. electric stove comprises a disc 8 of Isuitable refractory material havingV a resistor S)- located in grooves in one surfacelthereof;

A pluralityl of flat', relatively thin, ter minalvbars 10, 11 and 12 are connected to the resistor 9 andare' locatedadjacent and parallel tothe under surface of the disc` b; The bar 11 extends from substantially the center ,of theV disc` radially outwardly, to a small. distance beyond,4 its periphery.r The barsl l() and12, Which are` connected, at their respective inner ends, to the' ends ofthe resistor 9 neartlie peripheryoffthe disc 8,ex tend toward the bar 11 for a short distance and are then soy bent as toy extend. parallel thereto and `project beyond the periphery of the4` disc substantial-ly symmetrical. with the barrll.` y

Each of thebars isconnectedto theresistor 9.l by meanslof screws or. bolts 13 and nuts 111. Flach.l of the bars-10, 1ll and l2 is bentthroughan angleof ninety degrees near itsinner end. sothatywhile the inner end thereof has oneI of the flat' surfaces facing the under `surface vof the disc, all Yof the rest of the length ofthe barhas a narrow edge facingv suchsurface.l Eachl ofthe bars 10, 11 and12 is1: rovidedvr with. aset of holesas shovvn in -Fig.

In operation, the-underfsurfaoeof the disc may reach relatively highr temperature and, therefore, may, radiate heat.y aga-instany object located closely adjacent thereto. I-Iovvever, the amount of heat Whichmay be directly radiated against the terminal bars, is relatively small by reason of the relatively Small area of each bar facing the under surface of the disc. The openings 155 reduce the area of the heat-conducting patin thus reducing; the amount of heat which may be Carried by the Contact bars from the inner to the outer ends thereof. Alt is. of course, understood that the area of cross section of the bars is still su'fliciently larje to conduct the current required by the resistor' Q 'Wilhout causing undue heating',

In order to still further reduce the amount of heat which may be absorbed by the respective bars, the outer surfaces thereof are polished and nichel-plated. This provides surface for the bars which is adapted to reflect the heat rather than to absorb it.

In order to secure the outer ends of the bars 10, 11 and 1% a refractory f-upporting member lb is provided, having;` a plurality of holes 17 extending laterally therethrough, the bars 10, 11 and 12 being; adapted to extend through these holes. One surface of the member 1G may be si'lbstantially fiat to permit of being located. against the und surface of the disc S and one surface may be so curved as to coincide with the outer periphery of the dise 8.

One of the surfaces of the member 1G andL the ends thereof may be provided With a groove 1S in Which is loca-ted a clamping member 19, comprising` a. relatively thin (lat metal bar` bent to substantially U-shupe. Clpenings 2O are provided1 near l e ends` of the. member 19 to receive bolts 21 clamping the member 19 over the member 1G to hold the latter against the under surface of the disc. The middle part of the member 19 is made arcuate in contour to insure that it shall resiliently clamp the member 1 against the dise. Nuts 22 Cooperate vvith ti bolts 21 to clamp the member to th disc 8.

lt may be not-ed that the device embody-- ing my invention provides a terminal-bar construction forraquiclrly removable heating' element which is so formed as to absorb a relatively small amount of heat from the heating element and to reduce the amount of heat conducted from the inner ends of the bars to the outer ends thereof. Inherent means are also provided to reflect, rather than to absorb7 hea-t which may be radiated against the flat surfaces of the bar. A single means is provided to hold the outer ends of the bars in proper operative 'position7 relatively to the refractory dise and relatively to each other, and a single resilient member is provided to clamp the supporting` member against the surface of the disc.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention Wit-houtdepartingV from the spirit and scope thereof and l desire that only suoli limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specically set forth in the a pp end d cl aims.

l r um as my invention.:

l. A heatingv element comprising a resistor, a refractory member for supporting said resistor, and a plurality7 of terminal bars on aid refractory member, said terminal bars having` embodyingT means for redur-.ing the tloiv of heat to the outer ends thereof.

52. A heating); element comijirisinp a refior, a refractory member for simportingr said resistor and a plurality of flat elongated terminal bars extending parallel to one surface of said refractory member, said bars being; turned edgewise to said surface.

3. A. heating;` element comprising a. resister1 a. refractory member for supporting said resistor and a plurality of fla t elongated terminal bars extending' parallel. to one surface of said refractory member` said bars being turned edgewise to said surface and having embodying means for reducing?Y the fion7 of heat to the outer ends of said bars.

l. A heating element comprising a resistor, a refractory member for supportingr said resistor, a plurality of terminal bars extending parallel to oneI surface thereof and embodying' means on said bars to reduce the absorption of heat by said bars.

r1 hea 'rg' element comprising a resister7 rerractory member for supporting said resistor; a plurality of flat terminal bars :rtending parallel to one surface of said refractory members and beyond the er thereof and embodying means for reing the fion7 of heat along said bars and further embodying` means for reducing the amount of heat absorbed by said. bars.

6. A. heating element comprising a resistor, a refractory member for supporting;r

said resistor, a plurality of flat terminal FRANK F. FORSHEE. 

